English councils holding back millions of pounds of free childcare funds

FoI requests reveal at least 90 councils top-sliced childcare budget to offset deficits or add to reserves

MPs have expressed concern that local authorities in England are failing to pass on government funding for free childcare places to nurseries, after research showed councils were holding back millions of pounds to offset deficits or add to reserves.

Freedom of information requests submitted by the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) revealed that more than 90 of the 150 local education authorities that responded underspent to the tune of almost £46m in total last year.